Please help a 4 year hobbyist, I need help desperately!

[buddyboy]

O'k I was wondering if anyone can help me rectify a nagging bothersome problem with cloudy, mirky whitish gray water in my FO tank. I have to say I have spent countless hours researching this but to know avail.. I've heard that it could be a bacterial bloom which is characterized as white cloudy water or greenish water (algae bloom) .. it appears that my tank has a bacterial bloom but that seems hard to believe because it has been up and running over 4 years.. I've done three water changes this month consisting of 20 percent of total volume but it just seemed to come back.. I've tested my water and even brought a sample to Lfs and it is fine..I've even added extra power filter with carbon along with my existing cpr back pac with protein skimmer. I cleaned all of the biological filter in my CPR bac pac at once which I think may have caused a NH spike but things are back to normal again. I am truly cohfused and haven't got a clue on bringing my nice clean city tap water back to crystal clear visibility.. the reason i say this is because it was fine for so long. Please help before I do something rash and pour the whole bottle of clorox into the tank and kill everything (that's a joke)

 

[bang guy]

My suggestions:
1 - get your own quality test kits and test the water for yourself.
2 - Post the results here. Ammonia, Nitrate, Phosphate, PH, temp, Alk, and Ca. These are all important.
3 - Stop using tap water.
4 - Do another 20 - 25% water change.

 

[beth]

When I had a FO tank I had this same thing happen to me. And never new what it was. However, when I stoped using tap water and went to DI it stopped. I had to do over a 50% water change and, when I did, I notice the "grit" was on my glass as well. Wiped that down.
Can't say that your problem is the same, but, you never know. It drove me nuts!